The Story Of Liza Holmes
Meet the characters! Liza.jpg|Liza Holmes Jamie.jpg|Jamie Kyler peter.jpg|Peter Marks Erica.jpg|Erica Batterson Prologue It was an early summer morning, July 9, to be exact. An extraordinary child was born into a world that was a little extra ordinary. Little did her parents know that this little girl would turn out to be their biggest concern. However, as time went on, strange things started to happen. The little girl was causing things, unnatural things. Her parents freaked and in a haste, sent her to a mental hospital. But in that mental hospital, the strange things continued. The girl made food fly into the air, made syringes fly across the room. Nothing was normal, everything was brand new. The mental hospital soon grew to fear the young girl and sent her home. Her parents, who were much afraid of her, were angered by her return as they thought she was finally gone. They started to beat the poor girl. In school, people would notice that she was bruised and shy. But when asked, the girl would cry and run away. Finally, the Principal realized what was going on and got the girl moved in with her aunt, Aunt Kerry. Her aunt, though, was much alike this girl. She knew what was wrong with the girl. However, let that be explained in the story, for it starts now on a very special day. Chapter One "Liza! Come downstairs, dear!" I sit up in bed, looking around. I try to grasp onto the dream, it was an amazing dream... I just need to remember... "Liza!" my aunt calls again and I finally get out of bed. I look at myself in the full-length mirror propped against the far wall. My dirty-blonde hair is tosseled beyond belief and there are rings under my eyes. I shrug jt off and open my door, heading downstairs. At the bottom step is my aunt. Her light brown hair is up in a bun and her apron is coated in flour. She smiles at me. "You look like sunshine today." "I'm 11, I don't care how I look," I fire back before laughing. She joins in and we pretty much stood there, laughing without a purpose by now. Finally, we stop laughing as the mail slot flicks back and forth. Before she can get the mail, I hurry down the last few steps and snatch up the mail. Sometimes I look through the mail for something for me, just to see if my parents are going to take my back and apologize for everything. I shuffle through the mail when a letter catches my eyes. A letter. I hand the rest of the mail to my aunt and eye the letter. Liza Holmes 53 Codwell Drive Second Biggest Room of the House I keep my eyes glued on the letter. I flip it over and find a cress marked on the back. My aunt comes up behind me and looks at the letter. She gasps in pure shock. "Your parents... they treated you like my parents... your... your..." She pauses. I fear that she will call me what my parents did. However, when she does, a smile spreads across her face. "A witch." She pulls me into her arms. "Oh this is wonderful! Liza, you can go to Hogwarts unlike I was! You can learn to control your magic!" "What...?" I question. "But witches aren't real! My mom called me a witch because she said I wasn't real, and that calling me something fictional was so I would disappear." "No dear... They called you that because you are like me. A witch." She pauses. "Read the letter, it will explain everything. I hope you'll learn to control it... I never got the option." The confusion settles over me along with curiosity. I pull open the letter and pull out a piece of paper. I read it over and over. It tells me about the fact that I'm a witch and that I've been accepted to Hogwarts: School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I jump up and down in pure shock. "I can go to a different school where I can learn to control my powers?" I ask her. She smiles warmly. "I will allow you to go, Liza. I want you to have an opportunity I was never given due to my parents. Enjoy," she says quietly. She pulls me into a hug and sighs. "I just have no means of getting you all the stuff you need..." A knock on the door catches my attention. I open it and probably the tallest and burliest man I've ever seen stands on the other side of the door. "Ah, Liza Holmes. I'm Hagrid, ground keepers at Hogwarts. I'll be taking ye to get yer school supplies," he says. "Um... Hagrid?" I look back at my aunt who nods to me, meaning I can go. I run back and hug her. "I'll be back after I get my stuff, I promise." I then turn around and hurry out the door. Hagrid laughs. "Well, have ye got yer money?" "Money?" I question aloud. "For Gringotts, of course. Ye need money to buy school supplies, no?" Hagrid questions as he leans closer to me. I start to burn up, realizing I hadn't thought of that. I quickly run back inside and find my aunt waiting there with twenty euros in her hand. "Forget something, dear?" "Thanks," I say as she pulls me into a hug. She then shoos me away. I run out the door and follow the big and burly Hagrid, ready for my adventure to start. Chapter Two Hagrid leads me through the streets of bustling Cardridge, trying to find the quickest way to the underground tunnels. I laugh a little and pull at his hand, trying to lead him to one of the tunnels that goes down. "Come on, Hagrid, it's this way!" I say enthusiastically. He looks at the tunnel for a moment before following me. Once inside, he buys us both a ticket and we are on the first train to London. "Why London?" I ask, looking at Hagrid. Hagrid smiles and taps his fingers on the table sitting between the both of us. "London is where we set up Diagon Ally, of course. Some say it was there long before London itself was!" He grabs the tea sitting in a teacup and pulls it to his lips. The cup looks so tiny in his hands, it is shocking. I look out the window of the train, finding myself to be a tad bored. I watch as the concrete tunnels fly by as fast as the wind. When the train pulls into a stop in a jerky manner, Hagrid stands. "Welp, I do believe it's time we head of." I stand up, too. We head off the train and quickly get enveloped into the busy streets of London. Hagrid keeps close by as we make our way to a little shop. A sign swings lazily in the front of it. "The Leaky Cauldron," I read, which made Hagrid smile. "Yup, but only us magical folk can see it, otherwise everybody would be walking around our world. Can't have that, can we?" HIs eyes fall on me and brighten. I smile back before heading towards the door, pulling it open. Hagrid follows me and everyone looks at me suspiciously. I shift uncomfortably under their judging stares as Hagrid leads me through the crowd. We now stand in front of a brick wall. Towards the middle are some indentations made in the brick, some minor collateral damage... Hagrid taps three bricks in a quick succession of one another. The brick wall starts to shift and I stare in amazement. In merely moments, all that remains is an archway, created by the bricks. "Alright, follow me. We best be getting off to Gringotts and getting ye some money." Hagrid puts a hand on my shoulder and leads me through the streets. Several kids and adults push past us, and many of the younger kids are staring, wide-eye, at some of the shops. Hagrid takes the first step towards Gringotts. Two guards, sitting at the front of the door, nod his way as he pushes open the doors. I follow him and look around in amazement. The high-arched roof glistens in either gold or gold paint. The place looks so magnificent and magical in all these colors... Hagrid leads past several creatures, all working in books. "Hagrid... what are those...?" "Those? Goblins, they work here." He leads me to the one sitting at the front of Gringotts, in the higher chair and desk. He clears his throat and the goblin looks at us. "May I help you?" the goblin asks in what appears to be a very sarcastic voice. I would of taken offense but Hagrid reacted in no way, so it must have been normal. "Well, first I would like to check out her family vault, the Holmes vault." "The Holmes vault? That family hasn't had a witch or wizard that's been here for two generations." He looks at me. "Does Ms. Holmes have her key?" "Actually, I do." Hagrid pulls a golden key out of his pocket, handing it to the goblin. The goblin takes it, giving me a look before leading us away, key in hand. As we get onto a cart, the goblin turns back to me. "Your mother doesn't have the last name Holmes anymore, so how do you have the name?" "I... I took the last name when I moved in with my aunt. I didn't want to remember the people who hurt me..." I rub my arm and get into the cart in the back. Hagrid sits down next to me. The goblin, who Hagrid told me was named Plyelle, looked at my sympathetically. He gets in the front of the cart and we go zooming down into the dark abyss that is Gringotts. I watch as several things fly by, an occasional vault and lights. After a couple minutes, we slam on the brakes. I feel myself start to move forward, only to be stopped by Hagrid's arms. "Vault 534, the Holmes family vault." Plyelle gets out of the cart and Hagrid and I follow. Plyelle puts the key into the lock and turns it. The door starts to shift and tumblers turn, unlocking. The goblin puts his hand on the door and it pushes itself open. Inside sits a couple stacks of golden coins. "There ye go! A few galleons and ye be set for a couple years at Hogwarts!" Hagrid claps me on the back. He hands me a small sack and I look at the money he called galleons. I grab one of the stacks and put it into my bag. There must have been a good 30 or 40 coins in this stack... "Welp, we best be headed back to Diagon Ally." Hagrid puts his hand on my shoulder and we are on our way back to Diagon Ally. Chapter Three We step back out into the busy street of Diagon Ally. "Well, first we should get ye books and robes. Give me ye list o' books and I'll get them while ye go get fitted for ye robes." I hand him a small portion of the galleons and the list I found in the letter. I wrap my arms around my body as I look around at the stores. "Hagrid, which shop do I go to so I can be fitted?" I ask, looking at him. "Madame Malkin's, best taylor in Diagon Ally." He points to the shop before walking away. I slowly head towards the shop, bag of galleons in hand. As I walk in, the lady shows up, a smile on her crinkled face. "Welcome! I'll be your taylor, if you'll please go and stand in the back, I'll be with you soon!" She walks away, leaving me in the front of the store, door pushed open slightly. I shake my head and head over to the back. As I sit, another boy walks in. His has short brown hair swept over to one side. He notices me and gives me a smile. He walks over and sits down next to me. "I'm Jamie, short for Jameson Kyler. And you are?" He leans closer to me and I scoot over in my seat, pushing my hair behind my ear as it falls into my face. "I'm Liza, short for Elizabeth Holmes." I stick my hand out and he shakes it. The lady, Madame Malkin, returns with an assistant. I stand up on a stool, as does Jamie. They take in our measurements while Jamie tries to talk to me. "So, first year at Hogwarts?" "Yeah," I answer. I lift my arm up as Madame Malkin pokes at me to lift my arm. "So am I. Where do you think you'll be sorted?" He then pauses. "Oh right, you were here with Hagrid, meaning you're either Muggleborn or living with Muggles..." His face twists in disgust. "Muggleborns are the worst." "Well..." I shift uncomfortably. "I, uh... my parents... they aren't magical... but my... my great-grandparents were and so is my aunt." "Oh god, I'm conversing with a Mudblood..." He then sighs. "Well, you aren't totally Mudblood, there is magic in your family line. It just skipped your grandmother and mother..." He forces a scowl out of his face. "Which I guess makes you a... a... Quarter-blood? Or would you still fall under Half-blood?" "Can we... um... get off this topic?" I ask as I lower my arm down for Madame Malkin. "My parents... they are kind of a rough subject..." "Okay." He seems to relax a little. "There are four houses at Hogwarts. Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff and Slytherin. Gryffindor is for those that are brave and very... outgoing. Ravenclaw is for those who have wits beyond belief but want to use their brains for books instead of plotting. Hufflepuff, or as my family calls it, the reject house, is for those who are loyal or don't fit anywhere else. And finally, Slytherin is for those who are smart and cunning." "Very interesting," I say as Madame Malkin stretches the measuring tool over my waist, taking a measure. "So where do you think you'll place? I think Slytherin, as do my parents and my entire family. My family for several generations has placed in Slytherin, and I don't think I'll be any acception." He smirks but then looks at me. "So what says you?" "Me... I..." I think about myself. Where would I place? "Maybe Ravenclaw, I guess..." He looks me up and down and smirks. "Yeah, you have that look to you." Madame Malkin finishes up with us both and we walk out of the shop together. He looks around before spotting whoever he was looking for. He turns to me and smiles. "Well, I best be off. Good luck, and place well." He then turns and runs away, leaving me to get shoved by people. I quickly regain my wits and look around for Hagrid, easily spotting him near a dusty old shop with a sign that says "Ollivander's". I walk over, my robes in a small bag. Hagrid smiles. "There ye are. Welp, I got the cauldron, phials and books. All ye need to do now is get yeself a wand an' ma'be a pet." He motions me to go inside, handing me the cauldron that is weighed down by the amount of objects inside. I push open the doors and look around. "Hello?" I call out. Suddenly, an old man with crazed hair comes sliding out of nowhere on a ladder. "Ah, Ms. Holmes. I've been awaiting the return of a Holmes to my store, and it is wonderful that it is you." He climbs down and smiles. "Where shall we start indeed?" He looks me over for a good long minute before shuffling away and returning with a box. He takes off the top and shows me a fairly short wand. "9 and 1/2 inches, Oak, dragons heart string." He takes it out and hands it to me. "Go on, give it a whirl." I swish the wand into the air and a box from overheard goes flying, hitting me in the back of the head. I rub my head, muttering about how the box was stupid. Ollivander takes the wand away, muttering about it being wrong. He comes back two minutes later with another wand. "11 inches, elder tree, pheonix feather." He hands it to me and I give it a swirl. Another box flies out of it's spot. He snatches the wand away. Hagrid got bored around the fourth wand and wandered away, leaving me with enough galleons to pay for one wand. I shift uncomfortably on my feet and Ollivander brings to me another wand. I take it in my hands. "10 and 3/4 inches, elm tree, unicorn hair." I swish the wand and a golden light shines down on the both of us, illuminating us both. Ollivander claps in pure joy, putting the wand back in it's box and bringing it over to the cash register. "That will be 10 galleons." I give him the money and he hands me my wand, box and all. I slide the wand into the bag with my robes and walk into the streets to find Hagrid looking at a bunch of animals. I walk over and he smiles. "Finally got ye wand." He looks at the animals once more. Snowy white owls stare at me and pure black cats meow. "What do ye want for a pet?" "A pet?" I look at the animals. The cats are really adorable but an owl would be amazing... "I mean... an owl would be really cool..." "Done. Pick out a owl, find this to be a... e'rly birthday present, fr'm me to ye." He motions the the owls that stare at me expectantly. "Okay... Um... This one," I say, pointing to a beautiful brown-winged owl with a white face, rimmed by brown. "Ah... a tawny owl... Exc'll'nt choice!" He grabs the cage that was hanging from the rake. The owl flaps its wings before Hagrid carries it into the store and buys it for me. He hands me the owl to carry along with all of my supplies. "Now, next stop, I'm takin' ye home an' I won't be back 'til Septemb'r first where I'll be takin' you to Kings Cross Station an' then goin' to Hogwarts." And thus, we left Diagon Ally, heading back to my little home and Cardridge. Chapter Four The weeks went by in boredom. My owl, which I named Felix, hoots in his cage, flapping his wings in anticipation. I look at the calendar and smile. "September first, he's coming." I laugh and hug Felix's cage, which means I am hugging him at the same time. I twirl away, going to my mirror, brushing my messy hair and changing into my clothes: a pink shirt and black jeans. I grab my chest, filled with my robes, pajamas, other clothes, my crystal phials, cauldron and books. I move my wand to where it is hidden below the belt of my pants and grab Felix's cage, running down the stairs. When my foot hits the last step, a knock resounds through the house. "Aunt Kerry! I'm off to Hogwarts!" I shout. I open the door and Hagrid stands there, beaming at me. I smile brightly, pulling my trunk out of the house. Aunt Kerry runs down the stairs and hugs me, kissing me on the top of my head. "Have a good year, Liza dear." She hugs me one more time before waving sadly as Hagrid takes me to his motorcycle, putting me and my stuff in the sidecar. I wave to my aunt as we take off, zooming down the streets. "Won't they see us?" I ask Hagrid, looking at all the cars as we zoom by much faster than they do. "Muggles don' see what they don' wan' to, Liza." We suddenly stop and I grip the sides of the cart so I don't go flying forward. "Kings Cross Station." He hands me a slip of paper. "9 3/4, you best run between platforms 9 and 10, through the brick wall. You'll be fine." I step out of the cart with Felix and my trunk. I look at the ticket in confusion. I turn to ask Hagrid about his instructions again but he's gone. I sigh and get a trolley, pushing it through Kings Cross Station, looking around for platforms 9 and 10. I look at the trains, idling by, wondering if one of them is my train... Someone bumps me from behind and I stumble over my handrail for my trolley. I land on my trunk on my back and I cry out in pain. A pair of hands grab me, pulling me up. I look up and notice that I am looking at Jamie. "Oh god, I'm so sorry..." He then looks up and realizes it was me. "Oh great... Someone I actually know..." He scratches the back of his head. "Jameson!" snaps a male voice. Jamie lets go of my hand and walks back over to his trolley. "Get going, get going. You need to get to Hogwarts. Go." Jamie looks back at me before looking at the brick wall between platforms 9 and 10. He runs at the wall goes through, leaving me with his parents. "I apologize for my son, he doesn't know better..." He looks at me. "How does my son know you?" "Um..." I pause, wondering if I should tell him. "Madame Malkin's, we talked a bit while getting our robes..." I rub my arm which got a little bruised on my fall. "Oh, you must be Liza Holmes, he told me about you." Jamie's father eyes me suspiciously. "You best be off, the train leaves in five minutes." I quickly jump off my trunk, going behind my trolley, pushing it through the portal. I suddenly stand on a platform, right next to a bright red train. I push my trolley through the crowd of parents and a few kid stragglers. I take my trunk and owl, heading through the carts. All the carts are full... I finally come to an empty one and Jamie along with a girl with short, dark brown hair sit inside. I tap on the glass and Jamie turns around and smiles at me. I push open the door. "Can I sit here? All the other carts are full and..." "Yeah, of course," the girl says, pushing her fingers through her hair to ruffle it. "I'm Erica, this is Jamie. Here, let me help with your trunk." Erica took ahold of the trunk and pushed it onto the shelf above Jamie's head. I sat down next to him as Erica put Felix on the same shelves. The train suddenly jolts forward and Erica sits down. Several parents wave at their children and I just lean back against the chair, sitting uncomfortably. Jamie and Erica pile to wave out the window at their parents. Jamie looks back at me and sees how uncomfortable I am. He gives a glance at his parents who wave at him before he sits down next to me. A boy comes crashing into our cart, looking wild. "I'm sorry... I just... I'm Peter and um... some kids from Slytherin were attacking me and um..." He sighs and then looks at me and pauses, starting to burn up. "I... um... can I... sit with you all?" "Sure," Erica says kindly, motioning that he sit down next to her. "Any way, I'm a Ravenclaw, year two. Peter is in my year, also a Ravenclaw. But careful, I have a devious side," she says with a smirk at Jamie and I. Peter laughs, shifting uneasily. "I just... um... hope we can all be good friends and um..." He looks at Jamie he looks a little angry. I look at Jamie, confused. "Jamie, what's wrong?" He shakes his head. "Nothing," he mutters. He looks outside the window, which makes me a little upset. I'm about to say something when a lady comes by, shouting, "Anything from the trolley?" She stops by our door which opens as she passes by. I look at the candy piled high on the trolley. "Anything from the trolley, dears?" she asks sweetly. I stand up, grabbing a couple galleons out of my pocket. "Um... what do you suggest?" "Oh, get a chocolate frog," Erica says excitedly. "Oo, and a pumpkin pasties and maybe a Bertie Bott's Every Flavored Jelly Beans." Erica pulls out a stack of galleons. "I'll buy a thing of droobles, a bag of jelly slugs and... a cauldron cake." The trolley lady gives Erica her things. "That will be two galleons and three sickles." "Ah, always pulling the sickles card on me." Erica hands over the two galleons and digs around before she pulls out three small, little silver coins. "Thank you." She puts the money into a box. "And for you dear?" she asks, looking at me. "I... um... I'll take two chocolate frogs and... a pumpkin pasty." She hands me the three items and looks down at her sheet. "That'll be... one galleon and five sickles." I give her two galleons. "I don't have sickles on me..." "That's quite alright dear." She pulls out her box and counts out eight sickles, handing them to me. "There you, eight sickles is your change!" She then looks at Peter and Jamie. "Anything for you two?" Jamie ponders it, looking at the trolley. "I'll take a box of Bertie Bott's Every Flavored Jelly Beans." She grabs the box, handing it to him. "That'll be a galleon." He hands her the galleon and she smiles. "And you dear?" Peter shakes his head. "I'm good." The trolley lady smiles before continuing down the aisle, shouting for people to get something from the trolley. I sit down and open one of the chocolate frogs. It shifts in the container before jumping out, making me squeal. It then lands on the seat, unmoving. Jamie starts to laugh. "Relax, it only has one good jump in it. It's safe to eat now." He picks it up, handing it to me. I slowly take it from him before taking a bite. The chocolate instantly calms my unsettled nerves. "But what you really want is the card. Who'd you get?" I look in the box before grabbing the card. "I got... Beatrix Bloxam." "Oh my gosh!" Jamie nearly jumps out of his skin. "That is the one card I need to complete my collection!" He then pauses. "What? It is every kids dream to complete a collection." "Here, take it." I hand it to him and he starts to freak out before calming down. "Thanks Liza." He puts the card into his pocket. "You're welcome, I guess." Erica then tells a funny joke about how Jamie would make a good Hufflepuff and we all break into a playful banter. Chapter Five I laugh at another joke told by Erica when the train pulls to a stop. I look outside the window to find that it is near night. Erica grabs her trunk and a takes her cat, which was curled up on top of her trunk. She sets her stuff down and helps us get out stuff off the shelves. She hands me Felix and smiles. "You can give this stuff to Filch, he'll be bringing it to Hogwarts. You guys, however, will be taking the boats with Hagrid." She waves, running off with Peter, leaving Jamie and I. We slowly get off the train, handing our bags to Filch. I say a quick goodbye to Felix before Jamie and I run off to where Hagrid was standing with a bunch of other first years. "First years ov'r here!" he shouts, waving his hands. Several kids push past us as they walk away to take another form of transportation. Once everyone leaves, Hagrid leads us first years along a small path. We come to probably the biggest lake I've ever seen. We are lead towards the small, muddy "beach" where several boats wait idly. "A'right then. Organize yeselves into groups an' get on a boat of ye choosin'." He waves his hand before taking the boat in the center. Jamie and I take one boat along with a redheaded girl who tells us her name is Valerie. Our boat floats idly by Hagrid's as we drift to the beautiful, illuminated castle. Jamie smiles as my wonderous eyes look around. "That there is Hogwarts. It is the most magical place in the world. The headmaster is Minerva McGonagall. She took the position after the death of Severus Snape." "Fascinating," I say, still staring at the illuminated castle I don't notice as Jamie takes out his wand and conjures a flower, handing it to me. I take it, laughing softly at the rose bud that sits in my hand. It blooms right in front of my eyes, rendering me speechless. "My mom taught me that spell when I was little. Told me that when the time was right, I would be sorted into the right place with the right person." I lift the rose flower to my nose, smelling it. I give a bright smile to Jamie. "It's beautiful." The flower then floats into the air, landing softly in the water. The petals break apart, floating individually atop the starry water. We float closer and closer to the school until we land on the shore. Hagrid leads us all through a long, winding path. Jamie walks with me, talking about all the things his mother told him about Hogwarts at her time of going to school here. "So, my father wants me to be sorted into Slytherin. But then in Madame Malkin's, I got to talk to you and realized that our parent's don't pick our lives out for us, that we do it ourselves." He looks at me. "My mom has the same theory. As long as I have the right people to help me, I'm set." He looks around and I think I see him blush. "Wherever you go, I hope I go with you." Now it's my turn to blush. I look away and Valerie smiles at me. She hooks her arm though mine. "You and I are going to be great friends, I can tell." Jamie keeps to himself, closing himself off in a bubble, obviously upset over Valerie taking me away. During the time, Valerie tells me all she can about spells and charms. The front doors to the castle push themselves open as we are lead down several hallways. Valerie continues to talk on. "Oh, and then there is the Confundus charm which can-" She stops talking, noticing McGonagall standing at the top of the staircase we were walking up. We all stop at the top. Valerie unhooks her arm from mine and Jamie finally comes to stand next to me. "Greetings, first years," McGonagall says with a smile. "Through these doors, you will find something that will challenge you on your will, strength, ego and intelligence. It will then sort you into your respective houses where you will be living and earning points for the next seven years." She smiles brightly at us all. "If you please follow me into the Great Hall." We follow her into the Great Hall. Her emerald-green robes flow around her. My robes swing lazily around my feet, tangling together, making me almost fall. If it weren't for Valerie and Jamie, I would of landed straight on my face. I smile to them slightly before looking at McGonagall. She sets a stool in the center of the front of the Great Hall. An old hat sits on the very top of the stool. "Valerie Amarelle!" she calls. Valerie shifts uncomfortably on her feet before walking to the stage. The sorting hat is placed lightly upon her head. Minutes of silence echo around before it shouts, "RAVENCLAW!" After a few more kids, she looks at her list. "Elizabeth Holmes!" I gulp softly before walking to the stool. I sit down and McGonagall puts the hat on my head. I expect the silence I heard earlier, but got a loud, croaking voice. "Oh, a Holmes. It's been long since one of you sat here," it sneers at me. "Where should I put you?" it ponders. "You have great intelligence in great amounts, but something deep down tells of courage, loyalty, and dare I say manipulation. Where best to put someone like you, so diverse and so different?" There is a short moment of silence. "I know where to put you, just like every other Holmes before you." I close my eyes in deep anticipation. "RAVENCLAW!" he calls out for everyone to hear. The Ravenclaw table bursts into cheers as McGonagall lifts the hat off my head and I walk over to my new house. Valerie hugs me as she sits next to Erica and Peter. I look back at Jamie as he stands awkwardly, waiting for his name to be called. Finally, it is called. "Jamie Kyler!" He walks to the stage, sitting down on the stool. The hat looks ready to say something before it touches his head but McGonagall sees his pleading look. She places the hat on his head, looking almost sternly at the hat. As it sits on his head, my curiosity peaks. I lean forward as Jamie seems to have an enternal battle with himself before finally, he sighs in relief. "RAVENCLAW!" the hat shouts with a bit of an anger to his tone. Everyone around me starts to cheer as Jamie comes down the aisle. He takes a sit next to me and beams brightly. "What happened to being a Slytherin?" I ask, jokingly. "What happened to Slytherin? Yo-" he pauses, looking around. "You amazing friends who changed my outlook on what I have to do and what I want to do." He gives us a smirk before turning his attention back to the Sorting Ceremony. Finally, it ends and McGonagall comes up. She waves her hand and the stool disappears to be replaced by a golden stand with an owl supporting it. Candles sit perched on the wings and floating gently above our heads. A candle floats to low and Jamie taps it lightly, making it float back up to the ceiling decorated to look like the night sky. I look back ta McGonagall as she smiles brightly. "Attention, attention please!" she calls out. Silence quickly follows and she smiles. "Welcome first years, and welcome those who have returned for another year of Hogwarts. This year, I expect great things from all of you and high scores on both exams and O.W.L.'s." She looks around for a moment, getting a collective nod from us all. "Now," she continues, "after last years rebuild, we honor in a new era to Hogwarts, which along with that era comes a new staff commity. Some of you, that went through the Battle of Hogwarts, might recognize some of these teachers from possibly previous positions or old school acquaintances." She motions to the people who now stand behind her. "Still working in Charms, we have Proffesor Flitwick." He stands up before sitting back down. "Also, we still have Rubeus Hagrid is still standing for our Care of Magical Creatures, as well as Professor Trelawny for Divination and Professor Slughorn for potions. However, the defense against the dark arts teacher position has been taken up by Professor Babcott. Also, I have convinced an old student of mine to take up the position of Herbology teacher so Professor Sprout could finally relax. I introduce Professor Longbottom." She smiles back at him before focusing. "Proffesor Binns is still working for Magical History." A groan echoes around the room, making me force back a small laugh. "Also, to take up Transfiguration, we have Professor Verenda." "Alright, now... enjoy a lovely feast." Food suddenly appears in front of us and I laugh a little. Finally, after a moment of hesitation, we all dig in. After we finish the amazing food that was offered, Professor McGonagall returns. "Well, I do hope we have a lovely year at Hogwarts this year. Off to bed, all of you. Prefects, lead everyone to their dormitories!" I stand up, as does Erica, Peter, Jamie and Valerie. Erica and Peter start to talk about their upcoming studies as I walk with Valerie and Jamie. "You know," I say, looking at them both, "I think I am going to enjoy this year. What about you?" "Well, I think this will be an interesting year," Valerie says brightly. "I mean... it is Hogwarts. Nothing is ever boring and nothing is going to stay a secret for long." "I think..." Jamie starts but pauses. "Let's just say I'm expecting a howler from mum and dad sometime soon." Chapter Six A hand touches my shoulder, waking me up from my sleep. I look sleeply over at Valerie who is dressed in her robes. "Hurry up, Liza. We have to get down to the dining hall to eat before we start class." I jump out of bed, dressing as fast as possible. I look at my hair and run a brush through it, flinching when a knot doesn't come out in a quick pull. I finally get it easy to mess with and put it up in a bun. I look at Valerie who is giggling at me. "You look panicked," she laughs. "Come on, silly. We have to go meet up with Jamie, Erica and Peter already left..." She sighs. "The two second years aren't going to hang out with us much, I heard Erica say it to Peter this morning..." I sigh, walking over and hugging her. "It's alright, it'll just be us and Jamie. Now let's go." We then hurry down the stairs as fast as possible. I grab Jamie's hand as we zoom by, dragging the startled boy along with us as we hurry through the castle to the Great Hall. We finally take our seats toward the front of the Great Hall. We start to eat the food prepared for us from wherever. All I know is that it tastes amazing. I dig through the one-strap bag I have, looking for the piece of parchment that tells me what classes I have. I grab it along with a map that came along with the list. I look it over, pointing to where the class is located in the school. "We have Transfiguration first block, so that will be fun," I say with a smile. TBC.... Category:Harry Potter Category:Fanfiction Category:Stories by Rainfacestar Category:Stories Category:Unfinished